The two finalists of the 2023 French Open went about different ways at the Warsaw Open on Thursday. Iga Swiatek, the world no. 1 and the player who won Roland Garros reached the quarter-finals. The absolute favourite to win the title this week in her native, the 22-year-old defeated Claire Liu in their second-round clash. Meanwhile, Karolina Muchova, the runner-up to Swiatek’s champion in Paris, lost in the second round here against Rebecca Sramkova.
Swiatek needed an hour and 37 minutes to wrap up a 6-2, 6-2 win over the American. This was the third time this season that Swiatek and Liu had faced each other and now, following this win, Swiatek’s now leading year-to-date head-to-head, 3-0.
The four-time Grand Slam champion won 74% of her first-serve points to Liu’s 54%. She also won 47% of her second-serve points and 68% points on return on Liu’s second serve. Swiatek saved five of the six break points she faced while converting five break points on her opponent’s serve.
Warsaw Open: Rebecca Sramkova scrams past Karolina Muchova
In the quarters, Swiatek will play Linda Noskova. The Czech, the eighth seed here, defeated Slovakian Viktoria Hruncakova in their second-round match, 6-3, 6-3.
Hruncakova’s compatriot, Sramkova, who made her way through the qualifiers, posted a 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 win over Noskova’s fellow Czech, the second-seeded Muchova. Sramkova needed slightly more than three hours to pocket the win.
After Muchova lost the opening set, she regained control over the momentum of the match after securing the second set, 6-3. The final set, too, seemed to be heading decisively in her favour as she built a 5-1 lead and even secured four match points to advance. However, Sramkova made one more attempt to get back into the match and was also able to succeed against her higher-ranked opponent.
In the quarter-finals of the Warsaw Open, Sramkova will now play Germany’s Tatjana Maria. Maria won her second-round match on Wednesday against Clara Tauson, 6-4, 6-0.
